Easel



y 18, 1950' w. F. STEINER 2,515,359-

EASEL Filed Aug. 17, 1948 4b INVENTOR.

WILLIAM F. STEINER I '-:o BY i t i I I A TORNE Patented July 18, 1950UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EASEL v William Steiner, Silver;Spring, Md.Application August 17, 1948,Serial No. 44,711

The present invention relates to an improved easel particularly adaptedfor use for facilitating the deco-ration of Easter eggs, small articlesof pottery, and the like.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide an easelwhich is characterized by its extreme simplicity of construction andease of manufacture and which, therefore, may be marketed at very lowcost.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision, in an easel,of simple means for rotatably supporting an Easter egg, or small articleof pottery, so that it may be decorated with the utmost ease andeffectiveness.

A further object is to provide a device of this character embodying asimple and efficient brush rest by the use of which accurate work can bedone with minimum fatigue to the operator.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of my invention willbe appreciated readily as the same becomes understood by reference tothe following detailed description, when considered in connection withthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the invention as it would appear with anegg in the cup for decoration, and a brush partially supported by thebrush rest.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device, on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings in more detail, the numeral It] indicatesthe base of my device. Although shown as a rectangular wooden block, itshould be understood that the base may be of any other suitable materialand of any desired shape.

The work holder of my easel is shown generally at l2 and includes abracket l4 and a work receiving cup It. The bracket I4 is formed from asheet metal strip, bent to define a vertical web or center section 18, alaterally directed upper section 20 and a lower section 22. The lowersection 22 of the strip is formed with spaced, parallel slits whichdefine a center portion 24 and outer portions 26 and 28 at each side ofsaid center portion. The center portion 24 is bent laterally to aposition normal to the center section I8, said outer portions '26 and 28also being bent to positions normal to said center section It but in theopposite direction, so that said portions 24, 26, and 28 define feet forthe bracket. Screws 30, extending through the said portions 24, 26, nd28, secure the bracket to the base It.

The work receiving cup I6 is of metal or other 2 Claims. (Cl. 91-60)suitable material and is provided with a liner 32,

preferably of cardboard or other relatively soft material, forprotecting the surface of the workto be decorated from the rim of saidcup. A shaft or pivot pin 34 is secured to the bottom wall of the cupaxially thereof and is formed with a knurled portion 36, extendingthroughout its midportion, for engagement by the thumb and forefinger ofthe operator. As best seen in Fig. 3 of the drawing, the upper section28 and the portion 24 of the bracket M are apertured near theircorresponding outer ends to provide journals for the upper and lower endportions of the pivot pin 34, a recess 38 being formed in the base l0beneath the aperture in the portion 24 to receive the lower end of saidpin. A ball bearing '40 is carried in the recess 38 to pivot the lowerend face of the pin to assure free rotation thereof when manipulated bythe operator.

It will now be understood that I have provided a simple and efiicientrotatable support for an Easter egg or a small article of pottery to bedecorated. In order properly to rest the brush or other implement usedfor decorating the work in the cup during such decoration, I employ abrush rest 42 which, as best seen in Fig. 1, is formed of sheet metaland is of right-angular cross section. More specifically, the brush rest42 is formed by binding a flat strip of sheet metal to right-angularshape, slitting the strip along the vertex of the formed angle andbending the bifurcated portions to define feet 44 for the rest. Thebrush rest 42 is, as clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 2, screwed on the baseII] in parallel spaced relation to the work holder l2, and is formed, onits edge nearest said work holder, with a row of connected tooth-likenotches 46 to receive the shank of the decorating brush to provide asteadying rest therefor. As will be seen clearly in Fig. 2 of thedrawings, the brush rest 42 is of sufiicient height to extend well abovethe horizontal plane of the top of the cup, so that a brush, used fordecorating an egg (as shown at A in Fig. 1) or other article in the cup,may be held steady while the cup is rotated.

It is thought that the construction and manner of use of my improvedeasel will be fully understood from a reading of the foregoingdescription and a study of the drawings.

Obviously modifications of the present invention are possible in thelight of the foregoing description. It is therefore to be understoodthat, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may bepracticed otherwise than as specifically described.

I claim 1. An easel including, in combination, a base, a work support onthe base and comprising a cup, and a bracket rotatably supporting thecup, said bracket consisting of a strip of sheet metal having avertically extending portion and spaced pin guiding portions extendinghorizontally therefrom, one disposed a substantial distance above theother, ;saijd.;po rtions having :alined apertures,

said cup having a pivot pin extending between guiding portions, andthrough the apertures, for

manual engagement, whereby the cup may be rotated.

2. An easel including, in combination, a base,

a work support on the base and comprising a cup having a pivot pin, abraeketrotatablysupporting the cup, said bracket consisting of a stripof sheet metal having a vertically extending portion and spaced pinguiding portions extending horizontally ",thereirom, one disposed asubstantial distance above the other, said portions haring alinedapertures, said :base having a recess below th apert e in the lowermost;pin guid n portion, a bearing in the recess, the lower end of the pivotpin engaging the bearing in the recess, and means securing the bracketto the base, said pivot pin having a knurled portion between thejournaling portions of the bracket to facilitate manual rotation of thecup.

WILLIAM F. STEINER}.

E E WE The following references are or record in the ,file of thispatent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

